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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · rest · calf · racket · stand · mine · jam · roll

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — a cake
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. roll — a list
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com